


The Cold Hard Light Of Day

by twistedrunes



Series: George [7]
Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Language, Other, Past Child Abuse, Past Sexual Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 21:56:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16962210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twistedrunes/pseuds/twistedrunes
Summary: Alfie couldn’t help but marvel at you. Here sitting in his kitchen was the same, calm, cold women who had struck the fear of God into his own men last night. Not a sign of the delicate, passionate woman whom he had shared his bed with.





	The Cold Hard Light Of Day

**Author's Note:**

> This is a series if this is your first look, I recommend starting with Part One "A Bird In The Hand."

Alfie had taken Tommy downstairs, for tea or whiskey, you weren’t sure which. He had stepped between you and Tommy and convinced you to lower your gun and Tommy to let you finish getting dressed before speaking to him.  You sit down on the bed heavily, you’re exhausted and don’t have the energy to deal with Tommy today.

You drag yourself downstairs and settle in the empty chair. The three of you spaced equally around the circumference of the table. Alfie pushes a cup of tea towards you, shooting you an encouraging grin. You nod in thanks. You take a sip and look at Tommy. His entire body is wound like a spring, his eyes keep flicking from you to Alfie, his expression dark. You take a long sip of tea. Tommy’s mouth twitches in irritation and he arches his eyebrow.

You take a deep breath and begin. “Do you remember what I told you when you asked why I dressed as a man?” You ask.

“That being a man was easy.” He replies sardonically.

You ignore his tone and continue “Yes, and?”

“That no one with a cock took a woman seriously in your business.”

“Yes, and?” 

“That no man looking for a woman looks twice at another man.”

“And what did you ask me about that?”

“If it was going to be a problem for me.” Tommy’s voice is flat and expression bored.

“And I told you no.”

“You did.” Tommy looks towards the ceiling, his jaw flexing, he is obviously getting frustrated “Are you planning on making a point today?” He snaps.

“Well, he’s not looking anymore.” You say folding your hands over each other on the table.

“That’s it?” Tommy asks incredulously.

“That’s it.” You reply with a nod. Tommy looks to Alfie. Alfie nods in agreement.  

Tommy takes a sip of the tea. You watch he and Alfie with their dainty tea-cups and think how this really should be hilarious, having a tea party with two of the toughest gangsters in London. Tommy stands “Right then.”

\---------------

Alfie couldn’t help but marvel at you. Here sitting in his kitchen was the same, calm, cold women who had struck the fear of God into his own men last night. Not a sign of the delicate, passionate woman whom he had shared his bed with. He thought it was probably a good thing you had advised him this morning that last night was a one-time thing. He felt sure you were like cocaine, fun and dangerous but addictive, unpredictable and ultimately deadly. 

Alfie had watched your exchange with Tommy with increasing amusement. His hand rubbing around his lips, tugging at the hair there, using it to hide the smirk at risk of betraying him. He’s never seen Tommy have to work quite so hard to get information from anyone and you were as minimalist as Tommy, with the same level, calm tone. Same empty and unwavering gaze. Not giving a skerrick more information than needed. He wondered how you had managed to survive your time with Tommy, normally someone this difficult would have just been shot. 

\---------------

The trip home with Tommy is predictably uncomfortable. The deal had been done, a quantity of Winchesters was to be modified with a clip and hand grip, then sold on. But neither of you had said a word since leaving Alfie’s. You look determinedly out the window.   You’d been driving for over an hour when your head begins to nod, the previous twenty-four hours catching up with you.

“Arthur was worried about you,” Tommy says seemingly out of no-where.

“Well, he’s not Alfie’s biggest fan.” You reply, wiggling down into the seat and resting your head against the doorjamb, your eyes closing.

Tommy grunts in agreement and silence falls between you again. You sink down further in the seat, resting your head back on the top of the seat.

“What happened to your eye?” Tommy asks abruptly.

“Hmm?” you ask sleepily.

“You’re getting a black eye,” Tommy says, fingers grasping your chin and moving your face into the light.

You sit up, moving your face from his grasp “Must be from the head-butt.”

“Who fucking head-butted you?” Tommy demands

You sigh. “No-one. I head-butted Victor.”

“Who’s Victor?” Tommy asks voiced strained.

“The man.” 

“The one looking for you?”

You shrug “Not anymore.”

Tommy grunts again and you settle back in the seat and close your eyes.

\---------------

You wake with a jerk as the car comes to a stop. You open your eyes expecting to see Polly’s place but instead are confronted with an empty laneway, fields and trees. Tommy is sitting stiffly, hands gripping the wheel, knuckles white. Looking straight ahead.  

“Are you fucking Alfie?” 

“Pardon?” you snap.

“Are you fucking Alfie?” Tommy repeats, more firmly

“Fuck off!” You instruct, waving your hand at him dismissively

Tommy grabs your hand, holding it firmly “I need to know.” He insists.

You snort and pull your hand back “The fuck you do.”

“You work for me,” Tommy says threateningly

“Not as a whore, Mr Shelby. So who I fuck is none of your business.” You bristle.

Tommy glowers at you and you simply hold his gaze. Your face impassive.

“What did you need the make-up and perfume for?” He asks changing tack.

“What?”

“It’s a simple fucking question. What did you need the make-up and perfume I found in your room at the guest house for? If not for getting tarted up for Alfie.” 

Anger surges through you, arrogant fuck “Why where you even at the guesthouse?” You demand.

“I went to the bakery, you weren’t there. So I went to the guesthouse, and there was make-up and perfume in your room.”

You say nothing shaking your head in disgust.

Tommy turns angrily toward you, his mouth barely opening as he begins a different line of questioning. His jaw muscles twitching “Why did you go to Alfie? Why didn’t you come to us?”

“I didn’t go to Alfie, Mr Shelby, you sent me.” You reply, deliberately misunderstanding his question.

“Fuck!” Tommy slams his hand on the dash. “Why don’t you trust me?” he demands.

You rub your hand over your face and pull a cigarette from its case, as usual, Tommy’s lighter is ready before your own. You inhale deeply regarding him. “Why do you do that?” You ask him.

“What?”

“Light my cigarettes.”

“What?”

“Well you don’t do it for Arthur or John or any other man, but you do it for Lizzie and the other girls.”

Tommy looks at you, blinking slowly. “So, you don’t trust me because I light your cigarettes.”

“This has nothing to do with trust, Mr Shelby.” You explain patiently “All you care about is that someone did something without asking you first. That I didn’t come running to you to fix everything. You think everyone else is useless and the world would fall apart without you. Well, Mr Shelby, I can look after myself.”

“What the fuck does that have to do with cigarettes?” Tommy demands, throwing his hands up in frustration.

“You think I was doing, this” you tug at your suit and pulling your cap from your head, the volume of your voice rising “for fucking fun?” You glare at him “I knew if I was a man I was safe from Victor and Sabini and anyone else looking for me. Because they were looking for a girl. Right? Everyone else, even fucking John, played along. Except you. Mr Fucking Thomas, I do whatever the fuck I want and screw the fucking consequences, Shelby!” You fling your cap at him.

He catches your cap and screws it up in his hand “You’re on the run from Sabini? Fuck! Why didn’t you tell me?” Tommy’s eyes fill with fury again.

“Because, Mr Shelby, you didn’t fucking ask! You thought I was a silly little girl playing games, but who had skills you could use. Because no one’s life is as tragic as yours. No-one else has problems or a past or things they wish didn’t happen, except you.” You stop, breathing hard. Tommy’s eyes are wide and he’s balling his fists. But you can see a slight crack in his demeanour. 

And suddenly you can’t be bothered anymore. You’re sick of the antagonism between you both. You slump, exhausted “I’m sorry, Mr Shelby, that wasn’t fair.” You rub your hand over your face “I know you feel like it’s your responsibility to look after everyone. I know you’re angry because you’re trying to protect your family and you think I put them in danger. But I would never do anything to hurt any of you.”

“So you went to Alfie to protect us?” Tommy asks eyebrow arched, tone dripping with sarcasm, the hardness returning.

“No.” You sigh “I didn’t go to Alfie. He worked out who I was, and we made a business agreement.”

“For him to kill Victor?”

“He didn’t kill him.” You snap. You take a breath before continuing quietly, “I did.”

Tommy leans back in the seat, looking at the roof. He closes his eyes and rubs his fingers over his temples. He sighs “Why don’t you call me Tommy?” He asks, not looking at you, not even opening his eyes.

You slump back against the seat “Because you never asked me to.” You reply bluntly.

Tommy opens his eyes and turns towards you, hand held out in from of him. “Hello. My name’s Tommy, what’s yours?” He asks charmingly.

You shake your head and smile suspiciously, as you hold your hand out and take Tommy’s “Good afternoon Tommy, I’m Anna.”

“Nice to meet you, Anna,” Tommy says your name slowly as if getting a feel for it in his mouth, his hand lingering on yours. “I was worried about you too.” He says finally, eyes falling from yours.

“Fuck Tommy.” You sigh pulling your hand from his “I’m not your responsibility.”

He shrugs.

“I just wanted to make sure none of you got hurt.” You try to assure him, still frustrated by him. “Victor was a bookie. He worked for Sabini, just a foot soldier, but,” You look up, Tommy nods in understanding. “My father was a gambler, he used me to settle his debts. At first, it was just when he couldn’t pay, but then it was whenever Victor felt like it and then he started to bring his friends too. One day” you pause a lump growing in your throat “Well, I had enough. I killed my father and thought I had killed Victor. I hadn’t.” You shrug “Alfie worked out who I was. I don’t know how. He knew my name was false. He told me Victor was still alive, and that he was abusing two other girls. I couldn’t let Victor keep hurting little girls whose fathers were too fucking useless, careless to protect them.” You stop for a moment to calm yourself. “But I knew a Peaky Blinder couldn’t do it, it would start a war. So I pretended to be my own Aunt from Europe, looking for her long-lost niece. That’s why I had the make-up and perfume. Alfie helped me make an arrangement with Sabini. As far as anyone other than Alfie, Ollie, me, and now you know, Anna is dead and her Aunt avenged her and has gone back to Europe.  So it’s over.” You sit back, not able to bring yourself to meet Tommy’s eye.

You feel the heavy weight of Tommy’s hand on your shoulder, he squeezes it gently. You turn towards him. He smiles at you, it’s pained and can tell he’s added your story to the burdens he carries. You smile back. “What are you going to do now?” He asks

“Well, today I’m going to go home and probably sleep until Monday. Then I’ll be back in my workshop preparing for our next delivery.” You look at him hoping it’s the case.

Tommy lights another cigarette and blows the smoke out the window. “Who’s coming to work on Monday, George or Anna?”

“George.” You smile in relief.  “No women employed on the assembly line at Shelby Company Limited.”

Tommy’s eyes widen and he gives a little shrug which implies that he can change any rule he likes.

You shake your head “Trust me, Tommy. It’s better if it’s George.”

Tommy nods “Assholes with cocks?”

You laugh “Yeah. Something like that.”

“Well, you’ll need this then, won’t you?” He tosses your cap back at you. He turns the car over and you begin the remainder of the journey home.

\---------------

It’s nearly dark when the car comes to a stop outside Polly’s, you jump out and grab your bag from the boot. You lift your hand in farewell to Tommy.

“George,” Tommy calls from the car.

You stick your head in through the window. “Yes?”

“It’s my birthday in a few weeks and Arthur and John have organised a big do at Arrow House.” He pauses fingers tapping out a rapid cadence on the steering wheel. “Maybe Anna could come?” He suggests

You take a deep breath “Anna’s dead Mr Shelby.” You reply, pushing yourself back off the door frame with a curt nod.


End file.
